As an Italian dad in his 40s, I am honor bound to tell you The Sopranos is the greatest television series of all time. It’s the show that helped transform HBO into a bastion of dramatic and comedic television (after Oz, The Larry Sanders Show and… Dream On, I guess). While it has been off the air for nearly two decades, references to the show remain constant across the internet.
The Sopranos created indelible characters who fit in any era, telling tales that translate across generations. Clearly, University of New Mexico head football coach Jason Eck feels the same way. On Wednesday, the school unveiled a schedule release video starring Eck as Tony Soprano, driving through the streets of Albuquerque, chomping on a cigar and taking in the sights from the front seat of an SUV.
That’s… certainly a choice! Not because of the inherent morality of celebrating Soprano — he’s a fictional character after all — but because one of the three shows directly brought up as rival to The Sopranos atop the pyramid of prestige television was Breaking Bad… a show set and filmed in Albuquerque. So why is Eck cosplaying as the last thing a tray of baked ziti ever sees rather than telling recruits *he* is the danger — that *he* is the one who knocks?
Hell, the Crossroads Motel from Breaking Bad IS EVEN FEATURED IN NEW MEXICO’S SOPRANOS VIDEO.
You can argue Walter White was a villain — his meth empire led to the death and suffering of thousands, he indirectly caused the demise of brother-in-law Hank Schrader as well as Jesse Pinkman’s girlfriend and nearly killed a child via poisoning — and thus should not be treated as a recruiting tool. But Tony Soprano killed friends, enemies, and even family members (well, Christopher was only related by marriage, but still)! He was a philanderer and sociopath! We rooted for him only because the other people in his orbit were worse!
Well, whatever. The video is still very well done. The Lobos get to keep a Breaking Bad, or Better Call Saul, or perhaps even Pluribus tribute in their back pocket for future schedule releases. And in terms of coolness, it’s tough to topple the New Jersey mob boss women found irresistible with a high school chemistry teacher who makes amphetamines in his tighty whiteys.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: New Mexico football’s ‘Sopranos’ schedule release makes no sense, is still great
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